Hungary confirms hack of defense procurement agency

Hungarian officials confirmed to local media that the country’s defense procurement agency (VBÜ) was attacked by an “international group of hackers.”

Earlier on Thursday, the cybercrime group known as INC Ransomware or INC Ransom claimed access to the agency's data and posted sample screenshots on its dark web portal. Previous research indicates that the group emerged last year, primarily targeting healthcare, education, and government entities. The operators behind it remain unknown.

In response to media inquiries, the Hungarian Ministry of National Defense declined to disclose potential information leaks, citing an ongoing investigation. The ministry added that VBÜ does not store sensitive military data. Hungary is a member of the NATO alliance. 

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, attributed the attack to a "hostile foreign, non-state hacker group" without naming the group.

Gulyás stated during a press briefing on Thursday that the most sensitive data that could be potentially accessed included "plans and data about military procurement." 

Hungarian news outlet Magyar Hang reported that INC Ransomware breached the agency’s servers, downloading and encrypting all files. Hackers allegedly published screenshots of documents containing data on the Hungarian army’s air and land capabilities, as well as documents marked "non-public."

#magyarhang #hackertámadás 👉 https://t.co/oTyirLDD79
Elismerte a Honvédelmi Minisztérium és Gulyás Gergely is, hogy – mint lapunk arról csütörtök reggel elsőként beszámolt – egy nemzetközi hackercsoport támadta meg a Védelmi Beszerzési Ügynökség informatikai rendszerét. A… pic.twitter.com/Wvg4cSgeYv

— Magyar Hang 🇭🇺 (@MagyarHang) November 14, 2024

Media reports indicate the leaked data is "fairly recent," with some documents dating to October of this year. The hackers are reportedly demanding $5 million in ransom. 

Hungarian officials did not comment on whether they are negotiating with the hackers. The defense ministry has not replied to a request for comment by Recorded Future News.